Cyberpunk: The Relentless

Chapter 542 - 542 – Saburo Arasaka

"I dumped those guys in the bathroom. Good thing this suite has a massive tub—otherwise we couldn't have fit all four in there." Jackie's vo"I dumped those guys in the bathroom. Good thing this suite has a massive tub—otherwise we couldn't have fit all four in there."

Jackie's voice came as he shut the bathroom door.

"They won't wake up anytime soon, will they?" Oliver asked, glancing toward the door.

"Not just for a while," Karl replied, frowning. "They may never wake up again."

"Their neural ports had chips installed. I thought they were just standard combat-assist chips. But it turns out they were running a specialized program hardwired into the nervous system. The moment they detected intrusion or abnormal vitals, the program activated—and fried every connected neural pathway."

"Put that in layman's terms?" V asked.

"Their brains are cooked. Useless."

"Well, that's pretty damn clear," Oliver muttered, scowling. "So interrogation is off the table?"

"Besides confirming their profiles exist in Militech's employee database, the rest we'll have to piece together ourselves."

That surprised Oliver. "They really were Militech?"

"They were... but also weren't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They were fired a few days ago for absenteeism. Militech deactivated their implants and wiped their contracts. Technically, they're ex-employees."

"Sounds like textbook deniable assets. That doesn't prove much."

"But here's the kicker: all four of them were low-level grunts from different departments. They'd never even met before. Each earned less than 120k eurodollars a year."

Karl continued pointedly, "Their backgrounds are squeaky clean—too clean. The only thing highlighted in their records is that they were Militech."

"Planted identities?" Senno Arasaka murmured thoughtfully. He nodded slowly. "And with those glowing blue eyes you mentioned… I'd better get ready to deal with whoever else might be involved."

"Still, this identity gift fell right into our laps."

As Karl spoke, his phone buzzed with a message.

From Dexter DeShawn.

Sent to Karl's alias—Allen.

"I've sent you the evac route and vehicle Militech arranged for those operatives. That's all I know. I'm out."

That shifted Karl's focus to the infamous fixer.

Looks like Dexter DeShawn was aiming for legendary status.

He wasn't supposed to know that kind of logistical detail—routes and vehicle IDs were internal Militech data. That meant DeShawn had figured it out on his own.

And this message? A not-so-subtle signal to "Allen" and company: it's time to make your move.

But was DeShawn really being helpful?

He'd been threatened by both sides. A reckoning was inevitable. Now he wanted to fan the flames and grab the prize when the smoke cleared?

"Karl," V interrupted, holding up a device. "That netrunner girl on the team—her gear just got a message from DeShawn. He says a crew of mercs is gunning for the cargo. Said not to forget his cut."

Karl nodded slowly.

"Of course."

It was obvious—DeShawn was trying to provoke a firefight.

He wanted a brawl between rival crews, then swoop in as the vulture.

Yeah. He was going for infamous.

A third party snatching the goods after everyone else was bleeding out—classic fixer move.

But two problems with that:

First—the cargo wasn't his to claim. He had neither the right nor the luck.

Second—he never even got close. No chance to grab it, even if he tried.

If he'd just bolted after sending the tipoff, maybe he could've lived.

But he stayed. He gambled.

He had the balls of a legendary fixer—but not the brains.

Maybe getting kicked out of Night City once wasn't enough. Maybe he really believed he'd pull off the "third-party win."

Either way, Karl now had a solution.

"Call Andy. Tell him to reserve a psych ward bed for Mr. Dexter DeShawn. Diagnosis: delusional disorder."

"What's the official charge?" Oliver asked.

"Inciting public disorder during lockdown procedures."

"There's no lockdown yet."

"No."

Karl replied calmly:

"But there will be."

T-Bug's voice cut in sharply over comms. "Stay safe, all of you."

"You too, T-Bug."

Right after Karl spoke, alarms blared outside Konpeki Plaza. Multiple AVs roared by overhead, and the thrum of a landing craft echoed from the rooftop helipad.

Footsteps followed moments later—someone had disembarked.

The instant those footsteps reached their ears, Senno Arasaka's expression shifted.

Tension. Panic. A flicker of fear.

To the others in the suite, it was like watching a well-groomed Arasaka heir suddenly turn into a rich brat terrified of his dad.

"I'm doing a good job with the act, right?"

...If only he weren't bragging over the secure channel.

"Not bad," Oliver replied dryly. "But shut up before someone tracks us."

They fell silent.

The footsteps grew louder, steady even over the ambient hum of patrol AVs.

They descended from the rooftop, approaching the grand suite. When the team turned toward the stairwell, they saw a man in a sharp black suit appear first.

Karl recognized him instantly.

Goro Takemura.

And his appearance only meant one thing.

Clack.

A final step landed on marble.

Then came an elderly man in a traditional kimono.

There was no need to ask who he was.

Everyone knew.

One of the most powerful men alive.

The Emperor of Arasaka.

Saburo Arasaka.

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